Biases in affective forecasting and recall in individuals with dysphoric and anxiety symptoms

We used an experience sampling design to investigate biases in affective forecasting and recall in individuals with varying levels of dysphoric and anxiety symptoms. Participants who were higher in dysphoria demonstrated stronger (i.e., more pessimistic) negative mood prediction and recall biases, and weaker (i.e., less optimistic) positive mood prediction and recall biases. This was true even for judgments about very short (3-hour long) timeframes. Participants who were higher in anxiety demonstrated stronger negative mood prediction biases, but positive mood prediction biases that were on par with those who were lower in anxiety. Anxiety was not associated with mood recall biases. Neither dysphoria nor anxiety was associated with bias in event prediction. Our findings fit well with the tripartite model of depression and anxiety. These results are also consistent with the conceptualization of anxiety as a "forward-looking" disorder, and with theories that emphasize the importance of pessimism and general negative information-processing in depressive disorders.